Zach Braff has raised more than $3 million on Kickstarter to make his new film, Wish I Was Here.
The multitalented screenwriter, actor, director and producer realised hed have to give up too much creative control if he went down the traditional funding route for the follow-up to 2004s Garden State, so he looked to the crowdsourcing website, Kickstarter, instead. With rewards ranging from exclusive previews of the films soundtrack to tickets to the premiere and afterparty, backers have spent the last month pledging to raise 50% more than the $2 million goal and there are still a few hours to go.
The film, which Braff is ambitiously hoping to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014, is about a struggling actor (played by Braff) who reluctantly agrees to home-school his two children, finding himself as he goes. ELLEs May cover star, Kate Hudson, is set to play Braffs wife.
Founded in 2009, Kickstarter is seriously coming into its own as a way to make money for projects that can't find a financial backer in the traditional way or for those, like Braff's that don't want to compromise creative control. Anyone can 'pledge' money to the project (although they'll only get your money if the goal is reached), often for a good selection of rewards that are set by the project creator. Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell raised more than $5.5 million to make a Veronica Mars film in April this year, also beating their target of $2 million.
